A Summer To Remember
by murphyslaw575
Summary: Belly is at the summer house again and wants to be with Conrad. But Jeremiah's actions are confusing her. What will happen?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, lovelies! I know it's been a long time since I've written, but college has kept me busy! However, the itch to write just overcame me, so I had to relent (I should be studying for a test right now). Anyway! I decided to write another Summer Series story. I'm sorry if you don't like the series or have never read the books, I just really like them and I'm in a mood to write about those characters. If you have a story you want me to write about, message me and I'll let you know if I've read it, when I'll start the story, etc., etc. I hope you enjoy! xoxo.**

**Belly's POV**

My heart lurched into my stomach the moment we pulled down the drive to the summer house. It had been a year since I'd last been here, and yet seeing the faded shutters, chipping paint and wrap-around porch made it seem like I was just here yesterday. Memories of my brother, Jere, Conrad and I running around on the beach flooded my mind as my mom's old car made its way to the house.

Steven wasn't coming down for another week, and my heart pounded at the idea of Conrad, Jeremiah and I being the only "kids" at the house for a week. We had hung out many times before, but things were different now. _I_ was different now. I had never thought of the moment my looks would catch up to my growing desire for male attention, but here I was. I just finished up my junior year and had a total of seven guys ask me out. I only said yes to one of them: Cam Cameron. He wasn't my first boyfriend by any means, but he was the first one that felt like a real relationship. In the end, we broke up because summer was coming and he wanted to explore his options. I was upset, but if I was honest with myself, I wasn't crushed. Part of me was even relieved, of course it was the part that would always belong to one of the boys I spent all summer with – the boy who was staring intently at the cloudless sky as I got out of the car.

"Belly!" I heard Jere scream my childhood nickname before I saw him bound over to me. He crushed me in a giant bear hug before spinning me around. I felt my lips turn up into a smile. "You look great! I'm so glad you guys made it safely." He continued, directly his last comment to my mom. He put me down, but kept his arm loosely around my shoulders. My gaze flitted to the porch, but Conrad was nowhere to be seen. Following my eyes, Jere said, "Mom's inside making lunch. Go on, I'll get your bags."

"Thank you, Jeremiah," my mom responded, sending him a warm smile. I smiled up at him, before stepping out of his embrace and heading towards the porch. As soon as my mom and I entered the house, the smells of our lunchtime feast greeted our noses. When my mom and I went into the kitchen, Susannah was hard to work at the stove; she didn't even notice us standing there. My mom's lips turned into a smile as she stepped around the counter.

"Beck." At the familiar nickname, Susannah's head snapped up and she stopped her movements. A radiant smile spread across her face. "Laurel!" she exclaimed, pulling my mom into a tight hug. "I'm so glad you made it in time for lunch!" When the hug ended, Susannah stepped to the side of my mother and eyed me. I felt my smile broaden; Susannah had always been like a second mother to me and seeing her three months out of the year wasn't enough.

"Isobel Conklin. Aren't you a sight for sore eyes! Look at you! You look beautiful!" She made her way over and hugged me tight just as Conrad walked in from the sliding glass doors, a plate of grilled chicken in his hand. "Doesn't she look gorgeous, Conrad?" Susannah asked her oldest son, stepping away from me so I was in his direct line of sight. A small smile played on his lips, but it was gone just as quick as it appeared.

"Hey, Belly. Good to see you."

"You too," I replied to the boy who made my heart beat a million times harder just by seeing his strong arms sit a plate of chicken on the table. Jeremiah walked in then, breaking me from the Conrad induced trance I was in.

"Is lunch done? I'm starving." Susannah smiled and told us to sit down. While her and my mom carried all the food to the table, I took my place across from Conrad and Jere took his beside me.

"So, I see you decided to let your hair grow out," he said, tugging on a strand that escaped its place behind my ear. I slapped his hand away before replying with a simple yes. "Well, I like it," he said casually, blinding me with his bright smile. I smiled back, just as widely. I looked up in time to see a scowl pass over Conrad's face, but it was gone before I could figure out why.


	2. Chapter 2

**Conrad's POV**

"Dude, wake up!" I felt Jeremiah tug on my blanket and kicked my leg out, nailing him in the knee. "Aww, c'mon, man. Was that necessary? Get up! Belly and Laurel will be here later. Mom needs our help." At Belly's name, I bolted up right in my bed, my heart beating faster suddenly.

I looked at Jere. "I'm up, I'm up. Now get out," I said, pointing to my door. Jere shook his head and mumbled to himself on his way out. I ran my hand over my face, thinking of Belly. The last time I saw her was last summer and the thought of seeing her again made my heart jump. I often wished I could see her more than three months out of the year, but how would that happen? Belly and I had always just been friends. We weren't especially close, and my growing feelings for her from last summer surprised me.

I remembered chasing her around the beach when we were little, not letting her go downtown with us when we got a little older. Slowly, she changed from a little girl to just a girl…and my eyes noticed. I sighed and pushed my covers off of me, heading to the bathroom. This was going to be a long three months.

**Belly's POV**

I sat in my bedroom at the beach house, not being able to sleep. I looked at the clock one more time and saw that it read _3:09._ I stifled a sigh and sat up in my bed. I had always been able to sleep better at the beach house than my normal home and wondered what was so wrong tonight.

I thought back to lunch, to Jeremiah finding any small reason to touch me: brushing his hands over mine as he passed me a plate, resting his knee against mine, playing with my hair. Then I thought of Conrad, and how he scowled every time Jere seemed to get too close to me. Maybe it was my overactive imagination, but it seemed like Conrad was mad about Jeremiah touching me. Watching him storm off from the table didn't help my thoughts at all. I didn't see him the rest of the night, so I couldn't even ask him what was wrong.

Glancing at the clock one last time, I slipped out of bed and shimmied into my bathing suit. Padding out my room, I had one destination in mind: the pool. Swimming always cleared my head, and I seriously needed that right now. I'd been on the swim team at my school ever since my freshman year and my skin was itching to get into the pool again. Quietly opening the glass doors that led to the back of the porch, I stepped outside and stared the sky for a little bit. I could never see the stars at night where I lived, so ever since I was little I've loved staring at them at the summer house. Standing there a few minutes, I finally put my towel on a chair and dove into the pool. After a couple of laps, I could feel the tension in my muscles start to recede.

I had been in love with Conrad for as long as I could remember. Even as a little girl I was obsessed with him. Maybe "obsessed" isn't the right word, but the bottom line is this: Conrad will always have a part of me. Which is unfair, right? He hasn't done anything special to deserve a part of me. He's just like every other stupid boy, with his stupid smile and stupid sun-bleached hair and his stupid freckles and those stupid muscles of his. What makes him so different from all the other boys in the world? Why couldn't I love someone who could actually love me back? Loving Conrad was impossible: boys like him never went for girls like me. And that's not me being hard on myself or a baby about it, it's just the truth.

Feeling the tension rise again, I pushed even harder, gaining speed with each lap. I felt my legs begin to burn and smiled underwater. This is what I loved about swimming – having the ability to just lose yourself in it and clear your mind of any unwanted turmoil.

Satisfied with my late night workout, I stopped swimming and floated on my back. I let my mind wander while I stared at the stars, but I didn't let it stray on one topic for too long. Like that worked. Every five seconds, Conrad's face would flash across my mind and my heart would go into overtime.

"Couldn't sleep?" The question broke me out of my reverie and I stood up, seeing Conrad sitting on the chair that housed my towel. How long had he been there?

"Something like that," I replied, getting out. He handed me my towel and I dried my hair with it before wrapping it around my body. I sat in the chair next to him and he leaned back in his. He seemed content enough to just sit there, but I had to ask him what had been nagging me all day. "Why were you so upset at lunch?"

"What are you talking about?" he asked, a little too innocently.

"Don't give me that, Conrad. You had a scowl on your face practically the whole time and then you darted off before we were even done eating." I looked at him sideways and noticed he was clenching his fists. Maybe I shouldn't have asked him what happened.

"Oh, Conrad's just being a baby. He's still hung up on Cynthia. So, is this a party I wasn't invited to?" Jeremiah's sudden voice shot me up and I wrapped my towel around me tighter.

"Cynthia?" I asked, trying to sound casual. Conrad's fist tightened even more if possible. I looked at Jeremiah, who was wearing a crooked smile while looking at Conrad. It didn't seem as though Conrad was willing talk but Jere continued, "Cynthia was Con's girlfriend for about seven months. Then she dumped him. Said he wasn't committed enough, that he didn't seem _invested _in the relationship. She even said he was in love with som—"

"Jeremiah!" Conrad's sudden exclamation made me jump. I looked over and saw that his face was bright red, the veins in his hands popping out from his fingers being in tight fists.

_Cynthia? _I thought to myself. _I never knew Conrad had a girlfriend, let alone for seven months. And who did she think he was in love with? Did he ever tell her he loved her? _I felt the desperation of never having Conrad tell me he loves me well up in my chest. I looked to my right and found Conrad searching my face. I plastered a fake smile on my lips and declared, "That swim wiped me out! I'm gonna head to bed. See you guys tomorrow!" Hopping up, I scurried to the door, willing the tears not to fall before I was in the solitude of my room.


	3. Chapter 3

**Belly's POV**

I woke up the next morning feeling groggy. I could feel a headache beginning to form and cursed to myself. A soft knock on the door made me stiffen.

"Belly? Are you awake?" Conrad's soft whisper made my heart pound, filling my ears with the sound. I slipped out of bed and tiptoed to the door. Opening it slightly, I found Conrad fully dressed in the same clothes as the night before, staring at the floor with his hands in his pockets. His head snapped up when he heard the door open. "Did I wak- Belly, are you okay?" I felt my eyebrows furrow together in confusion. "Your eyes and nose are red. Are you sick?" My face flushed as I remembered my crying session from the night before.

I cleared my throat before answering. "I'm fine. I'm not sick. Did you need something?" His gaze went back to the floor. "I wanted to apologize for last night."

"You have nothing to apologize for." I said, confused as to where this conversation was going. Suddenly, Conrad stood up straight, his hands were balls inside his pockets. He clenched his jaw, his lips turning into a thin line. "Alright then," he said curtly. I felt my eyebrows furrow again as he walked down the hall, towards his room where he slammed his door. _Boys,_ I thought. This was going to be a long three months.

**Jeremiah's POV**

Watching Belly leave the pool made my heart speed up. She looked upset when she left, and I didn't know why. I looked down at Conrad, who had his hands bunched together in fists. "Hey, man. You okay?" His fists tightened and then he dropped his hands in his lap, a mask of indifference slipping over his face.

"I'm fine," he said a little too sharply. I stifled a sigh and looked at the stars. Why was everyone so uptight tonight?

"I'm gonna go see if Belly is okay. She looked kind of upset." Before I could take a step towards the doors, Con's arm gripped my bicep. I looked down at him, my eyebrows furrowing.

"What the hell you doin'?" He cleared his throat and let go of my arm. Looking at his hands, he said, "I'll go check on her." Before I could protest, Con was walking to the door. I shook my head, wondering what I missed.

**Conrad's POV**

I walked up the steps slowly, biding my time. I was pissed as hell at Jere for telling Belly about Cynthia, but I knew I shouldn't be. He didn't know about my feelings for her and Cynthia was my past.

Remembering the hurt look on Belly's face made my gut twist. When I made it to her door I paused outside, scared to knock. Before I knocked my fist on the door, I heard soft sniffling and my hand dropped back to my side. I don't know how long I stood there, listening to her cry, but when the sun started coming up, I finally knocked on her door.

"Belly? Are you awake?" I asked softy, half hoping she wouldn't open the door. I heard her pad to the door and she opened it slightly.

Looking at the floor, I began, "Did I wak-" I looked up and saw that her eyes were red and her nose was puffy. "Belly, are you okay? Your eyes and nose are red. Are you sick?" I knew she wasn't sick, but the thought of telling her I stood outside her door listening to her cry was laughable.

She cleared her throat and said, "I'm fine. I'm not sick. Did you need something?" Not being able to hold her gaze I looked back at the floor. "I wanted to apologize for last night."

"You have nothing to apologize for." She said, irritating me. I stood up straight, and curled my hands into balls inside my pockets. Clenching my jaw, I said "Alright then." I made my way back to my room and collapsed into my bed, pissed at myself beyond reason.


	4. Chapter 4

Hey, guys! I'm soooooo sooooo sorry it's been forever since I last updated. I was swamped with midterms and now the semester is almost over and I'm swamped with finals. Anyway! Here is the next chapter, and I promise to update again Friday!

**Belly's POV**

The days trickled by and I hardly saw Conrad. He didn't come to breakfast or dinner every day for a week. My mind kept going to the night he came to apologize to me. What did he have to apologize for? I felt a headache coming on, so I excused myself from dinner and went outside. I didn't miss Jere staring at me the whole way.

**Jere's POV**

I watched Belly leave the dinner table and wondered, not for the millionth time, what was wrong with her. She seemed to be in a daze for the last week. I couldn't help thinking it had something to do with Conrad being MIA the past week.

I left the table and followed her outside. When I walked through the sliding glass doors, I saw her heading to the beach.

"Belly! Belly, wait up!" I saw her hesitate and then she stopped and turned around. I jogged over to her and noticed her eyes were red.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she replied, with an edge in her voice. "I'm just going for a walk." I put my hands in front of my chest, my palms facing her, and backed up. "I was just checking on you. You've seem upset these past few days."

She exhaled a sigh and looked at me. "I'm sorry, Jere. It's just been a crappy week."

"Does it have anything to do with Con being gone all week?"

Her eyebrows furrowed and her mouth turned into a scowl. "Conrad? What – Why would I be upset about that?"

I let out my breath in a big gush and shrugged my shoulders. "Never mind. Hey, listen, my girlfriend is coming over tomorrow and I want you to meet her. I think you'll like her a lot." Belly's eyes widened in shock and her mouth popped open.

"Girl..? You have a girlfriend?"

"Don't seem so shocked. I know I'm not as swoon-worthy as Con, but girls still like me. I'm not a leper, you know."

"No, no! That's not what I meant," she protested, her cheeks turning red. "I just – I didn't know you had a girlfriend. You didn't tell me."

"Well, you've kinda been in your own bubble since you got here. Are you sure everything is okay?"

She looked at the ground before responding. "Yeah, everything is fine. I'd love to meet your girlfriend, Jere." She peered up and I saw a small smile on her face. "Cool. Her name is Alexia. She'll be here tomorrow around noon. We're going to lunch, but I'll introduce you two when we get back."

She stared at me, her smile broadening. "Sounds great."

**Belly's POV**

Once Jere went back inside, I continued on my walk down the beach. My mind was reeling. Jere had a girlfriend. And here I had been, thinking he had feelings for me. I laughed to myself. Jere was right – I had been in my own bubble.

I slipped my sandals off and walked to the edge of the water. I thought of Conrad again, wishing I could just get him out of my head. What was so great about him? Why did he have to invade my mind every second of every day? Better yet, why did Jeremiah assume I was upset because Conrad hadn't been around all week? Was I that shallow? I felt my heart slip into my stomach. Could he tell that I was in love with Conrad? Could everyone tell…including Conrad?

I felt my heart speed up and closed my eyes, willing it to slow down. _You're being silly, Isobel. I'm sure no one knows about your infatuation with a boy who barely knows you exist. _Letting my breath out in a slow gush, I turned around and headed back to the beach house. I got about halfway there when I noticed two people in an intimate embrace. I dropped my shoes as I realized one of them was Conrad.

Breathing through my nose and willing myself to act normal, I continued walking to the beach out. I took about ten steps when I heard my name being called.

"Belly? Is that you?" I turned around and saw Conrad walking toward me. Behind him, a tall blonde beauty was following him. I pasted on a smile and made my breathing even out.

"Hey, what's up?" _Act natural, _I told myself.

"Hey, I thought that was you. What are you doing out here? Why aren't you eating dinner?" Conrad's eyebrows furrowed together as he questioned me.

"I could ask you the same thing," I said to him, making my voice light.

"I wa-" he stopped talking and looked to his left, where the girl he was with seemed to materialize. He looked at her like he completely forgot she was there. She slipped her fingers through his and smiled up at him before looking at me.

"Hi, I'm Cynthia. Conrad's girlfriend. Who are you?" I felt the smile slip from my lips and my heart slipped with it.

**Conrad's POV**

_**This isn't good,**_ I thought to myself.


	5. Chapter 5

**Belly's POV**

"I'm going for a swim," I blurted out before my mind could comprehend what I was saying. "It was nice meeting you, Cynthia. I'm sure I'll see you again." I pulled on another fake smile before I turned the other direction and walked toward the water. Before I could let out a sigh of relief, I heard Conrad call my name.

"Hey, Belly! Hold up!" I heard him jogging over to me, and contemplated pretending that I didn't hear him. Just as I was about to take another step, he ran in front of me and grabbed my arms. Looking down at the place his hands held my arms, I asked, "What do you need?"

"Belly," he whispered, causing me to look up. His chest was rising and falling faster than normal. I assumed it was due to his jog over here. "Belly, I –"

"Conrad? We're going to be late! We better get going!" I turned my head at the sound of Cynthia's protests. She was standing a few feet from us, her right hand shielding her eyes from the sun.

"You better get ba—" I began before he cut me off, saying, "I'm sorry."

Turning to look back at his face, I asked him, "Why do you keep apologizing to me?" I felt his hands slip from my arms and he let out a frustrated sigh. Running his hands through his hair, he looked me in the eye.

"Belly, I…I… Look, I know how you feel about me." I stood in front of him for five seconds before his words registered. Taking a step backwards, I looked over his shoulder at the ocean. The waves were crashing, forming spouts of white foam. The setting sun caused a glare off the surface of the water and I closed my eyes, feeling the heat of it on my face.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, barely above a whisper.

"I know. How you feel. But, Belly, I feel th—"

"You don't know anything." Stepping around him, I made my way towards the water again.

**Conrad's POV**

I stood in the same spot for a few seconds before turning around and following Belly towards the water. Moving in front of her again, I said, "Will you let me finish a thought before you shut down? Just listen to me."

"Cynthia is waiting for you," she responded, not looking at me.

"I don't care about Cynthia." I said, simply. That got her to look at me and I smiled to myself. _Small victories, _I thought.

"What do you want, Conrad?" She asked me.

"You. I want you." I reached for her hand, but she pulled away. I felt my eyebrows pull in. "Belly, this past year, you're all I've thought about. And I know you feel the same way. I've known it for a while, I was just too stupid to realize how I felt about you. But I know now. It's you, Belly. It's just you."

She looked back at the beach and shook her head slightly. "Cynthia. You're with Cynthia." When she looked back at me, I saw tears spilling from her eyes. "I've been in love with you as long as I can remember. But it wouldn't be right. Not while you're with her. Especially since she was convinced you loved someone else while being with her the first time."

I shook my head and reached for her hands again. This time she didn't pull away. "Don't you understand? I'm not with her, Belly. She came here to try to get back together, but why would I want her when I can have you? And that girl – the one she thought I was in love with – that's you. It's always been you." I bent down and our faces were inches from each other. "Say yes, Belly. Please."

She moved her head closer to mine and whispered one little world. I felt my heart soar and then crash, landing somewhere in my rib cage. I moved to close the gap between our lips and she fell into my arms.

**Belly's POV**

Stars exploded. There was an earthquake somewhere caused by Conrad's kiss, that I was sure of. When he pulled back, I felt my heart hammering in my chest and put my hand over it, trying to catch my breath.

I looked into Conrad's eyes and saw his smile radiating from them. "How about that swim?" he asked, smiling wider.

I smiled, tugging on his hand. "I have a better proposal." I pulled him closer and our lips touched for a second time. If I expected this kiss to be any less spectacular than the first, I was mistaken.

**Conrad's POV**

We spent the rest of the night in fireworks.

**Note: This is not the end! I hope you've enjoyed it thus far!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello to anyone still reading this story! I know it's been seven forevers since I last updated, and I apologize profusely. I've had so much work the past few months and time got away from me. So, if you are still reading, here is the next part! And I pinky promise to try to update in a much more timely manner next time! Enjoy! xoxo.**

**Belly's POV**

The next few weeks went by in a blur. I met Jere's girlfriend, Alexia, and instantly liked her. She has a very bubbly personality and we get along very well. Steven finally showed up and it felt like we were all home. We all hung out every day, swimming, biking, getting ice cream – just enjoying each other's company. Conrad and I were doing great, and I found myself smiling every day because of him. The moments we got to share alone were my favorite. We would talk and talk for hours, and some nights, no talking was involved. Although we hadn't had sex yet, I knew that one day I would be ready, and I had a strong feeling Conrad would be the one it happened with. For now, I was content enough to spend our nights talking or locked in a good old-fashioned make-out session. He seemed happy enough, too.

At the beginning of July, Conrad and I planned to go into town and buy some fireworks for the fourth. While I was fixing my hair, Steven walked on.

"Hey' Belly. Can I talk to you for a minute?" I looked at his reflection in my mirror and noticed he was fidgeting with his hands.

"Sure. Is everything okay?" A small smile touched his lips as he sat down in a chair by my door.

"Yeah, yeah. Everything's fine. How are you doing?" I felt my eyebrows scrunch together at his question. Couldn't he tell these past few weeks had been amazing for me?

"I've been really great. I've missed it here a lot," I replied, finishing my braid.

"It is nice to be back," Steven said, looking down at his hands.

I turned around to face him, leaning against my dresser. "Steven, what is wrong? You look like you just found a dead teddy bear from your childhood." He laughed at that, but it didn't touch his eyes.

"Does Conrad treat you okay?" I stood up straight, surprised by the question. "It's just that…I know how he can be sometimes…" Steven trailed off, clearly embarrassed about talking to me about Conrad.

"Yes. He treats me really well. I'm really happy with him," I said, smiling to myself.

Steven let out a sigh. "Look, I'm not saying he's a bad guy. He tries really hard to do right by everyone, but…Well' everyone messes up, okay?" With that, Steven finally looked at me. His eyebrows were raised in a question, asking if I understood what he was telling me. I felt my smile grow.

"You're sweet, Steven. You don't have to worry about me, okay? I'm really happy, and Conrad has been great. Everything is fine." I smiled wider, trying to reassure him, but his smile was so faint it's like it wasn't there at all. I started leaving my room and stopped next to him. "I'm a big girl. Everything will be fine." I patted his shoulder and started down the steps, calling out for Conrad.

**Conrad's POV**

I looked at Belly in the car next to me and felt my smile broaden. I thought about the previous month and wondered how I managed to be so happy without her. She was like the sun or a shooting star – she lit everything up. I tightened my grip on her hand and felt her squeeze back. I looked at her again, he hair blowing in the wind from the rolled down windows, singing along to some pop song on the radio. At that moment, I swore to myself I would do whatever it takes to make her happy every day.


	7. Chapter 7

Here's the next part! My semester is almost over, so if anyone has any books they would like me to write a story on, let me know because I'll have plenty of time over the summer! (: I hope you enjoy! xoxo.

Belly's POV

That Saturday was the Fourth of July and Jere and I started setting up the fireworks on the beach after dinner. Once I was done fixing the last firework, I wiped my hands off and looked up to see Jere staring at me. "What? Do I have sand on my face," I asked, absently running a hand across my cheek.

"No, no. I was just thinking. I'm really happy for you and Con. You guys seem really happy. And lord knows how long you've loved him." I felt my cheeks flush and looked down at my feet. "Seriously. All the time growing up, I watched you make googly eyes at him like it was your job. I'm surprised I never caught you drooling." I looked up with wide eyes and saw a giant grin on Jere's face.

"You are such a jerk," I exclaimed, chasing after him when he ran off. We began running in circles, laughing hysterically. Somehow, Jere became the on chasing me and he caught me in his arms and started walking toward the water. "Take it back! Take it back or you go in!"

"NO! Never," I managed to shout between my bursts of laughter. He eased closer to the water and I could feel his laughter under my weight. In the distance, I saw two figures approaching us and instantly recognized Conrad's relaxed gait. "Conrad! Conrad, save me from your evil brother!" Jeremiah turned around and started laughing even harder. Plopping me in the sand, he started walking toward his brother and the other person – who I now recognized to be Alexia.

I sat up and dusted the sand off the bottom of my shorts just and Conrad reached me. I smiled up at him, taking in his flawlessness. He was wearing a button up, which happened to be unbuttoned, with a white t-shirt underneath it and a pair of khaki shorts. His shirt defined his muscles so well, and I couldn't help but stare at his arms a bit too long.

"Let's go get some ice cream," he blurted out. I looked at his face, confused.

"Ice cream? We have to start the fireworks soon. And the town is going to be packed with everyone watching the fireworks there." Conrad merely shrugged his shoulders at what I said and grabbed my hand. Trailing beside him, I couldn't help but think how I could stay in this moment forever.

Conrad's POV

As I started driving into town, I felt my heart speed up with anticipation. I knew what I wanted to tell Belly, but I wasn't sure now was the right time. What I had to say would change everything, and I wasn't sure if it would be a good change or a bad one. I just got her, and I didn't want have to give her up so soon if that's what it came down to. In my heart, though, I know I owed it to both of us to just get it out of the way and tell her. I would deal with her reaction when it came. _One step at a time,_ I told myself while finding a parking spot next to the ice cream shop.


	8. Chapter 8

**Belly's POV**

I couldn't help but notice how Conrad was quite the whole ride to the ice cream shop, barely saying a word. I grabbed his hand and squeezed as he reached for his door handle. He looked at me with a question in his eyes. "Are you okay," I asked, noticing the worry in my voice.

He gave me a small smile before replying with a simple "Yes", and stepping out of the car. I unbuckled my seatbelt and reached over for my door handle, only to find Conrad standing there with his hand outstretched. I smiled up at him and shielded my eyes from the sun with my left hand. I placed my right hand in his and stepped out of the car. We stepped into the ice cream shop and I was surprised to see only a few people in line. We got into line behind three girls about my age. They kept glancing back at Conrad and me. I looked at Conrad sideways and saw a mixture of nerves and annoyance on his face. He saw me looking and his immediately transformed into a smile. _What is going on,_ I thought to myself. The girls continued looking and I felt my annoyance begin to rise. I was about to suggest to Conrad we go to a different ice cream shop when he tugged on my arm and mumbled something about needing fresh air. I trailed behind him as he led the way out of the ice cream store and down the sidewalk toward the water.

Pulling on his arm, I made him stop. "What is going on, Conrad? You are acting really weird." He sighed and dropped down onto a bench behind him. Putting his head in his hands, he mumbled incoherently. I sat down beside him and put my hand on his back. "I can't understand anything you say if you intend to talk to your hands the whole time." I felt him sigh under my hands and he looked up. I saw worry and affection mixed in his eyes and I rubbed my hand in circles on his back, trying to soothe him.

"I need to tell you something, but I'm – I'm scared." With that, he put his head back in his hands and sighed yet again. I got off the bench and knelt in front of him, pulling his hands away from his face. "Conrad," I said, trying to get him to look at me. When he refused to look up, I put my hand under his chin and made him look me in the eye. "Tell me. Whatever it is, we'll figure it out." Conrad simply sighed and closed his eyes. I squeezed his hand and he opened his eyes again. "What if I guess what you need to tell me and we'll go from there," I asked, forcing my voice to be casual. Conrad gave me a small smile and nodded his head.

"Ooookay…" I hated myself for it, but I blurted out the first question my mind latched on to. Looking down at the concrete sidewalk covered in trash, melted ice cream and sprinkles, I asked, "Did you cheat on me?" Conrad didn't immediately say anything and I felt my heart speed up. I looked up to see his eyes the size of quarters, burning holes into me.


End file.
